Old school waders?

[sickclown]

I can buy new canvas chest waders from hodgeman for about 60 bucks. They supposedly are pretty durable. I tried a friends in about 30 degree weather while it was snowing. They were about 10 years old. They were fine. They were a little hard to move in. They had room for me to wear two pairs of socks and long underwear underneath. I didn't get cold at all. Why should I buy breathables or any other kind of wader if all they're gonna do is last me a season or two then start to leak. Right now I'm using rubber hip waders and they were great untill the water rose high enough for me not to cross my favorite creek. I fish for steelhead in Western New York and I'm looking for help convincing my stingy side to spend a couple hundred more bucks on fishing. If you've had good experiances with a certain wader please tell.

[summer salt]

I've been fishing R.I. surf up until last friday in 3 1/2 m.m. Hodgeman neos. and have been fine.A couple mornings in the last 2 weeks it was in the 20's at sunrise.The waders are bootfoot with felt soles and run around a hundred bucks and I'm on my 3rd season with them.They're hot when the weather gets warm but this time of year that's what you want.

[sickclown]

I've been fishing R.I. surf up until last friday in 3 1/2 m.m. Hodgeman neos. and have been fine.A couple mornings in the last 2 weeks it was in the 20's at sunrise.The waders are bootfoot with felt soles and run around a hundred bucks and I'm on my 3rd season with them.They're hot when the weather gets warm but this time of year that's what you want.
I tried neoprene and I feel a little efeminate in them due to the tight fitting thing going on. I heard they last longer then the breathables but about 3 or 4 seasons is the general consensus before they start to leak. I hike a little ways sometimes to get away from the others. The trees almost always scrape me somewhere on the hike. Neoprene are also around 90 for the cheapest stocking foot. and I like the boot foot idea. So 60 for 10 years with canvas and about 130 with the boot foot neo for 4. Either way I'll stop fishing when my fly can't break through the ice.

[Chuckster]

There was a wader comparison in one of the fishing mags recently ( I forget which one), and it was pretty thorough. The end result was that the canvas-type waders you're discussing were the MOST dangerous type available.

The neoprenes were the best as far regarding floatation if submersed, and breathables were second. The canvas-type waders took on water easily and were difficult to get out of when full of water. They may only be $60, but it may be a dangerous choice if you fish treacheous waters.

I have an old pair of Red Ball canvas bootfoot waders, and these days I only wear them to keep dry when I'm running my snowblower.

Look into a pair of breathables from Cabelas or Orvis - you can layer clothing underneath them depending on the conditions.

Good luck with your decision!

[striper man]

canvis is hot as a bitch to walk in i would pick up a pair of breathables form cabelas for $100.you can layer up under them.

[sickclown]

I know canvas is one of the dangerous kinds of waders. I actually started slipping in them while the creek was rushing hard. I had the belt on and the rope at the top sinched tight. Only a little water leaked in. I didn't even stop fishing. In the summer time the creek I fish at only has sucker fish in it. I fish from boats in lakes in summer so hot waders arn't a concern.

[Chuckster]

I fish for steelhead in Western New York and I'm looking for help convincing my stingy side to spend a couple hundred more bucks on fishing.

I'll give you the same advice my brother gave me when I couldn't decide if I wanted to spend a lot of money on a good PFD:

ME: "I realize it's a great PFD, but the thing is over a hundred bucks!!"

BRO: "If you were at the bottom of the ocean, how much would you pay for that PFD then?"

Be safe, that's all I'm gonna say...

[teflon_jones]

I wouldn't even think about buying a set of non-breathable waders. Here's why:
I fished Grand Lake Stream for 5 days in June this year. On the 4th day, me and two of my buddies decided to start at one point in the river and keep hiking down for about an mile, fishing the whole way. It was cold and rainy to start, but then the sun came out and most of the day was pretty warm. I had on a pair of flannel pants under my jeans and waders and my legs were never cold or hot the entire time, whether I was hiking along the shore past the treacherous sections, chest deep in the water, wading downstream through calf- or thigh-deep water, or during the mile-long hike uphill along the road back to the truck. I didn't get sweaty either, which was key. If I'd been wearing non-breathable waders, I would have gone from being cold to hot and sweaty and then back to cold and sweaty many times that day. NO THANK YOU!!!

[sickclown]

Ok, with the suspenders and belt even the canvas comes to about 80 bucks. The canvas isn't worth it. I found some cabella's boot foot breathable for 118 bucks. That's the cheapest I could find next to the canvas so far. Searching the sites I hear bad things about all the wader companies. Simms leak but they take them back. Same with Orvis. Same with Hodgeman. Same with cabellas.

[Bob Parsons]

As far as durability and freedom of leaks the best waders I ever had were the Cabelas Brush buster 100 deniers. While they are not neoprene with the flotatation safety factor, I think I will go back to them since I tired of feeling like I'm wearing a body condom and having the leaks make it look like I wet my pants.:mad: (Although I may try a breathable brand if I can find my size).

[sickclown]

I knew somebody would say they liked the durability. I couldn't imagine using breathable with trees scraping against me every 20 feet. Maybe if I had a machate with me I'd feel comfortable. I've felt the breathable fabric now and I'm afraid It just won't hold up.

[capemike88]

I hunt out of my Cabelas breathables as well as fish, I jump all over the marsh, flooded fields, ect, one pair started leaking last year, they sent me a new pair in the mail as an exchange for the old pair, haven't had a problem since, and I beat the poop out of my waders.

Mike

[dudley]

A few years ago I went the canvas wader route. I went through two pairs of Pro-Lines in one season. Junk. I know the Hodgmans are of better quality ( I have hip boot that I love). But one thing is true about all canvas waders. They are HEAVY. If you walk much, it will make a difference. Plus you'll sweat your a$$ off.
I switch off between my 12 year old neoprenes and my newer breathables. Both from cabelas. Unlike many others I still feel neoprenes have their place.

[teflon_jones]

I knew somebody would say they liked the durability. I couldn't imagine using breathable with trees scraping against me every 20 feet. Maybe if I had a machate with me I'd feel comfortable. I've felt the breathable fabric now and I'm afraid It just won't hold up.
I did 5 days of hiking through the woods this past summer in my Orvis breathables, much of it through thick trees and brush with no trails, and didn't have any problems...